Parents claim a plan to reserve places at a top school for children who have been baptised Catholic has led to bullying and bigotry.

St Ninian’s High in Giffnock, near Glasgow, is at full capacity. But some parents claim that East Renfrewshire Council’s proposal to ask for baptism certificates to manage demand for places at the Roman Catholic school is “breeding hatred”.

Nabeel Shaikh, former general secretary of Glasgow Central Mosque whose daughter attends a feeder school for St Ninian’s, said: “East Renfrewshire is a diverse community.

“It’s a great strength that people of many faiths – Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Sikh and Hindu – come together on a daily basis while they drop off and pick up their children.